This blog is about my new Civil War history, Our War: Days and Events in the Fight for the Union.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

11. 'The navy gets the best of everything'

On his return to his outfit from convalescent camp, my dad expected to see the graves of some of his comrades. Of the war
he wrote: “How I wish it were over.”

This letter is the longest my parents left from the World
War II years. My father, 1st Lt. Charlie Pride, wrote it at sea after his
long convalescence in the military hospital and rest area at Hollandia, New Guinea, in 1944-45. The ship was headed for Manila. In a letter published in an earlier blog post, Dad mentioned his work as a motor pool officer at the
convalescent camp. In Manila he was to become chief of Gen. Douglas
MacArthur’s motor pool.

The letter is six pages long, and the pages are full-sized
U.S. Navy stationery with the naval emblem atop each one. The dateline reads “Sometime, Somewhere at sea.” My mother Bernadine and their daughter Bonnie,
who was nearly 21 months old, were the addressees. They were still living with
her parents at 147 Davis Road in Fairfield, Conn.

Mom wrote on the envelope “Started about June 5 Postmarked
the 14th.” But because Dad mentioned going to church on Sunday, I think he started the letter on Saturday June 9. The war in Europe had been over for a month, but
the Japanese were hanging on.

Here’s the letter:

Sometime,

Somewhere
at sea

Darling Bern & Bonnie,

Can’t say much about anything except that I am feeling fine
and comfortable. Instead of writing you everyday I will write more on this when
I think of something new to say. It will save money on postage and we can’t
send them anyway until we disembark.

This is the smoothest riding ship I have ever been on. We
have been out quite a few days and I don’t even feel the least bit woozy. In
fact my appetite is tremendous, but that must be on account of this navy food.
We have steaks, chicken, pork, good pastries and ice cream. We can also buy ice
cream and Coca Cola at the ship store, so you can imagine how fat I’ll be when
we get there. Do you mind if I am a little fat?

No, there are no
women aboard, darn the luck. I’ve yet to get on a ship other than that hospital
ship where there was any female personnel aboard. I suppose that makes you
happy. Well to tell the truth I don’t care myself. There is only one little
girl for me and no one else could ever take your place. I love you with all my
heart and hope and pray that it wont be long before we are together again.

There are four bunks to a cabin and one army cot. I am
sleeping with four captains so you know who is sleeping on the cot. I don’t
mind though. I have a nice mattress on it, and a pillow. Another wonderful advantage
is the fact that I can pick up my cot and go up on deck to sleep, which I do.
The heat in the cabins is terrific. I also enjoy the sound of the ocean and
being able to think of you and Bonnie – the peace and quiet.

Here's a photo of Bonnie that Mom had sent to Dad . . .

Black out regulations are very very strict. We can’t even
have lights in our cabins with the port holes closed after sun down so you
can imagine how we have to grope around. Most of the officers have a lot of
enlisted men to take care of inspection of their hatches and stuff. I was
lucky. I was O.D. [officer of the day] the first night out and have had a few
jobs since but as a whole I am taking it easy. Not that that’s unusual for
pappy, right?

. . . and here's what Mom wrote about "little Stinky" on the back of the photo.

The heat is terrific and we are running into rain. What
luck. It is now rainy season in the P.I.’s [Philippine Islands] so you can
imagine the fun we are going to have building a camp in the rain and mud. I
guess everyone on board but me is looking forward to getting there. I’d rather
have stayed where it was comfortable. I’ve never been on this particular island
before but I think my old outfit is still there. I guess I’ll get to see
Elliotts and a few other friends graves. I get sick when I think of it. How I
wish it were over. I love you.

I hope to see Paul soon. That’s at least something to look
forward to, someone we both know. That makes it nice, knowing you know him too.
This navy stationary is pretty good compared to ours, but then the navy gets
the best of everything. Now I’ll have to get some air mail stamps so I can use
these nice envelopes.

Today is Sunday. I just got came from Church services on
deck. It was a Lutheran service too. Surprised? [The Nordstroms were Lutheran.
Dad was Presbyterian but seldom went to church.] The water is
a beautiful blue, an unbelievable color, looks like blue ink. We see quite a
few flying fish and some sharks too. They sure are sinister looking. I guess
they follow the ships and eat the garbage. I’d hate to fall overboard. I wonder
if they like dark meat?

Just so you can follow my travels on the map, I can tell you
the different places I’ve been, since it’s not against censorship regulations
as long as your outfit is no longer there. My first stop over a year ago was
New Caledonia, then Milne Bay, and then Oro Bay and Buna where I spent a month
or so, then Finchhaven, the Admiralty’s (Los Negros, Mauna & Howie
Islands), New Britain, Leyte and Samar, and then I was evacuated you know where,
and here I am on my way again, so you can see I’ll really have been around, and
believe it or not I’d much rather have stayed at home with my honey.

I am very blue and lonely for you darling. You are
constantly in my mind and I feel it in my heart that we’ll soon be together
again. That is all I ask of life. We have about the best understanding of
anyone I know and I have the sweetest and best wife in the world.

We officers have it quite nice on board. We eat in an air
cooled dining hall with colored stewards to serve us. We eat at tables family
style. Each state room has a tile bath and shower. Of course fresh water is
only on certain hours of the day, but we do very nicely. They also have a
laundry service for officers and believe it or not our khakis are pressed and
stacked. I can’t get over it. It sure feels good to put on a nice clean crisp
uniform. We must wear khakis at all times. They also have a barber shop with a
real chair. I know. I tried it yesterday. All they need is a barber. My head
looks like I forgot to take my helmet off but the chair was worth it. It sure
felt good. The pay-off is all of these services are free. Yes, all of them. We
aren’t even allowed to tip the stewards. Oh, boy, the navy.

In October 1944, Dad had landed with the First Cavalry at Leyte just south of Tacloban. He was wounded
on the island of Samar. Although this letter doesn't say so because of censorship rules, I believe the ship
delivered Dad to Manila, the capital, on the west coast of Luzon. It landed around June 14, 1945.

We have a movie in the dark mess hall nights. They are real
old and class “B” pictures but we go anyway. The heat is unbearable. We have a
lot of fun singing “old favorites” before the show. I think it’s against navy
decorum. I guess they frown on us, but who cares. We have to stand at attention
when the captain comes in. They blow a whistle. We also have to be in the
dining room five minutes early and then we can’t sit down till the captain takes
his seat and if anyone comes in late they have to apologize to the captain and
ask permission to eat. Some fun! I laugh to myself. I guess I’m just a
civilian.

Col. Solomon is in charge of all troops aboard. He is
alright too. Maybe that’s why I can take it easy. We play quite a bit of
pinochle. No money involved either. I’ve only got about four bucks to my name
anyway. They sure have some hot poker games going on. Makes my mouth water to
watch. My room mate, our adj., Capt. Darkow, won $700.00 yesterday. I’d faint
if I ever won that much. I am glad I am cured cause I would have lost my shirt,
I could see from watching all the hands, so I guess you never have to worry
about pappy becoming a habitual gambler. [Dad’s “cure” was short-lived, as subsequent letters in this series will show. Later in life he gambled almost daily at gin rummy.]

I do like our small games at home, though, don’t you? Remember
how sore the Cowperthwaites got when they lost 50 pennies? I don’t seem anxious
to see or to like any of our friends anymore, just you and Bonnie. I love you
with all my heart. I can’t figure out why I feel that way about the Fogarty’s
and others, but I wouldn’t care if we never saw them again. In fact, how do
you feel about Vermont or the West Coast? I think we’d like either, don’t you.
I love you.

Nothing much new. Land is constantly in view. We should pull
in either tonight or tomorrow, so I guess I’d better taper this epistle off so
I can mail it quickly. Had a funny incident happen yesterday. I had three
bottles of beer in my pack and of course hot beer doesn’t taste so good. Capt.
Darkow and I decided we’d like a cold one, so I went up and asked the steward if
he thought he could get us some ice. “I don’t know I’ll try,” he replied. I
told him I had three beers and I’d give him one. He said, “I know I can get it
now.”

I hope to have a whole flock of mail waiting for me. I am
always anxious to hear from you and to hear of Bonnie’s antics. We are running
into quite a few tropical storms. I guess we’ve really hit the rain belt again.
You really wont mind if I come home with web feet, will you darling? I love you
oh so.

Well I now have over 13 months, only five more to go. I hope
it flies. I long to feel those nice arms of yours around me. Just think, we’ll
have a new and better honey-moon, lets make believe it’s our first, O.K.? We’ll
really do things up brown. Maybe we’ll go to Miami beach if it’s winter. We’ll
shoot the works, formal and all. What do you think my sweet wife? Gee, I sure
do love you.

I am going to miss these meals. We even had fresh turkey
yesterday. It sure was good too. By the way, I got weighed yesterday, 175
stripped. That’s about right for my height. Still wear a 32 waist too. I guess
I’ll lose a lot more when we start to build a camp. That sure is a job, and
everyone works too!! Even me.

Guess I’ll sign off for now till I get the time and place to
write again. I hope it’s soon. I love you very dearly. Bonnie too, Kisses